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Manifesto for the Democratic Nation of Iran

Published and Revised on October 21, 2017

The revolution is not yet complete, and our age of renaissance has just begun.

The Democratic Nation of Iran is a coalition of individuals and organizations fighting for the realization of a true democracy in the great nation of Iran. We are a grassroots movement by and for the people. Our mission is to establish a true democracy; to unite all democratic forces; to establish the rule of law; to stimulate the economy; and to inspire your spirit, heart & mind! We are dedicated to human rights, a democratic government, and a prosperous economy. We respect international law, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the United Nations Charter.
Iran is a free, independent, indivisible and inalienable nation. Its form of government should be democratic and set forth in a constitution ratified by the people. The people of Iran should hold sovereign power and have the freedom to establish, modify or change any law, the constitution, or their elected representatives when required through democratic processes which are free of corruption and interference. Human rights, the right to vote, and the right to participate in the political process are liberties that no government should take away from any citizen. The rule of law and a separation of power between the branches of government are crucial to insure prosperity, stability, and prevent corruption.
Unique circumstances now justify a resort to the extreme measure of a constitutional convention. This right exists because the current political order is entrenched in power; and cannot be removed through the process of elections, and because the system has become intolerable for many reasons, and because the new order proposed to be introduced will be more satisfactory to the people than that which is to be displaced. It is our strong conviction that Government is only the external organization of the people, and if, by means of it, the nation itself is in danger of perishing, and the fundamental rights of the people are threatened; necessity calls for a new political system and constitution.
It is our sincere conviction that life on earth is a great, sacred and special experience. Every person has certain basic human rights. No government, police force, or individual possesses the right to deprive any other human of such rights. Every person should be equal before the law; and should be entitled to the rights and freedoms set forth in a constitution, without distinction of any kind, such as race, religion, gender, language, disability, political opinion, nationality, values, preferences, property, birth, or social status. Every person has the right to freedom of thought, religion, education, opinion, and speech; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures should not be violated. Excessive bail should not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
In a true democracy, the people are the sovereign; they are the highest form of political authority. Democracy requires compromise. People with different interests and opinions must be willing to sit down with one another and negotiate. When somebody expresses their opinion, they should also listen to the views of other people, even people they disagree with. Everyone has a right to be heard.
Democracy is a means for the people to choose their leaders and to hold their leaders accountable for their policies and their conduct in office. Power flows from the people to leaders of government, who hold power only temporarily. Laws and policies require majority support, but the rights of minorities are protected in various ways. The people are free to criticize their elected leaders and representatives, and to observe how they conduct the business of government. Democracy should balance power and not allow one person or group to control the government. For example, the judiciary, legislature, and the executive branches of government should be separate and accountable to the citizens of the country.
In a true democracy, elections have to occur at regular intervals as set forth in a constitution. All parties and candidates must have the right to campaign freely, to present their proposals to the voters both directly and through the mass media. Voters must be able to vote in secret, free of intimidation and violence. There also needs to be an independent and impartial body to observe the voting and the vote counting in order to ensure that the process is free of corruption, intimidation, fraud, and to resolve disputes.
The primary duties of government are to protect the nation from external or internal aggression; to completely uphold the principals of basic human rights; to encourage a free and open economy as well as private commerce; To promote the highest quality of educational resources; To promote the highest quality of health care; To continuously work with citizens to improve upon the physical, technological and economic infrastructure of the nation; and to enforce the constitution and all laws established by the citizens of Iran or their elected representatives.
God has no need for guns, money, or politics. For over a thousand years, the clerics in Iran had a moral authority which went beyond this world. When they spoke, people listened. Now, most believe that anything they say is only meant to further their political aspirations. Citizens have lost their faith in both religion and government. The moral authority of the clerics has been lost. We believe the Clerics can regain this moral authority if they aloud the people and politicians to handle state business. God never asked anybody to silence, torture, and assassinate. Religion is private, personal, and sacred.
No government can function with out the consent of the people. The previous regime had one of the strongest military forces in the Middle East and it was removed because the people decided it was time for a change. It is time to recognize the power of the people, and, more importantly, it is time to acknowledge your own strength and abilities.
Every person, including you, has the potential to make a difference in the world. Fighting for change is never easy. We all must find the courage to stand and fight for our values and beliefs. We must have faith and make sacrifices. We must create a better life for our families and children. If we do not fix the foundation of the country, the nation will most certainly continue to crumble. Our intellectuals, educated, and children will only dream of how to escape to other countries. Your standard of living will continue to deteriorate. Your food and cost of living will continue to be more expensive. Corruption will continue to plunder our natural resources and we will only suffer more than we are suffering today.
The struggle for freedom requires leadership, discipline and organization. True victory requires strategic, tactical, and operational planning. We can easily win this struggle peacefully without a single shot being fired if we unite our efforts and work together. All we have to do is spread hope, love, and knowledge. We must build local networks and educate our friends about democracy. We must establish a better democratic alternative.
The Democratic Nation of Iran is committed to improving the lives of the people. We will never sacrifice our independence or natural resources. We will never renege on our commitment to equality, human rights, and democracy. A truly democratic country will help greatly increase the salaries of workers, teachers, police, scientists, military personnel, and business owners. We will give every student the chance to pursue their educational aspirations. Democracy will improve the economy, develop new jobs, and increase business opportunities.
Dear citizens, it is time to build a great and prosperous nation. We must remember our ancient and rich history. Our people will achieve great advances in human rights, religious freedom, women's rights, technology, poetry, art, science, and space exploration. Our people must be free to believe in themselves and in the future of the country. All of us must pray and fight for the power of justice and goodness to prevail over evil. We must live with hope and a desire to pursue with vigor the satisfaction of our country's highest aspirations. It is time to explore new frontiers, and to encourage artistic and cultural advances. The time for victory is near. The forces of change are inevitable. By pursuing the just principles of equality, human rights, and democracy, we hold weapons and resources of unimaginable superiority. Our mission is noble, our conscience clear, and our victory imminent!

I read this manifesto and am blown away! It envisions a society where Iranians will have the democracy and freedom that they have so nobly fought for. It is the blueprint for Iran's future. It shows a strength and determination that will, without a doubt, remove the fascists from power. Have been very discouraged when I read about the brutality that Iranians have endured under this regime. But after reading your manifesto, I KNOW you will be victorious, and Iran will be liberated. Every Iranian desiring regime change needs to read this. This reminds me of the Declaration of Independence. I am not Iranian, but have been following the events as they began in June. Have gotten very passionate about this cause. And am behind you 100%. Onward to victory!

How do you feel about US/UN sanctions being put on Iran in order to force the government to comply to International Law? I feel that sanctions only hurt citizens and are not the way to handle the situation. If you have the time to reply SufiHippie@aol.com

First of all, I would like to congratulate You on a very nice work on this Manifesto! I am very impressed by Your thoughts regarding the - hopefully not so very far away - new Iran. The Manifesto, if everything come true, is even better to live in than Sweden.

I have a couple of thoughts that I want to share with You. I have only read the Manifesto yet, but I will read the other documents later, so maybe there are some things that I mention now, that You have been taken care of in the other documents.

When You talk about equality before the law, I miss a freedom and that is Sexual Orientation. Maybe You have thought of it and included it under one of the other freedoms, but I believe that You need to make that one of its own.
Furthermore, I believe that You must include some kind of statement that tell everyone that the people of Iran has rights, but they also have obligations. Obligations to help develop the country in their own competent way, and of course act with an ethic and moral guideline.
In the piece when You involve religion the discussion, there is a misspelling of a word. In the middle of the piece You write aloud and I belive it should be allow.

One last thing. At the end of the Manifesto You suggest things for the military to do in their "fight" for democracy and it is very nice. Although, I would like You to consider to remove the suggestions that sabotages something. If You want to be considered as serious by the World around You in Your work of shaping a new future it would be the best thing to do.

Finally, once again I congratulate You on a job well done and looking forward to see this come true!

Hello. Thank you for your input.
1. On the issue of sexual preference: Article 3, Paragraph 1 of our draft constitution states:
"All persons born or naturalized in Iran, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of Iran and of the Province wherein they reside. Every person is equal before the law and is entitled, without any discrimination, to equal protection under the laws of Iran and of all the provinces, and every Citizen is entitled to the rights and freedoms set forth in a constitution, without distinction of any kind, such as race, sex, language, disability, religion, political opinion, national or social origin, values, preferences, property, birth, or other status."
2. We took your suggestion and made a modification to the paragraph.
It now reads:
"We call upon the military and all government officials to stop supporting this corrupt and misguided regime. We must bankrupt them financially and cease all forms of cooperation. If you do not support them, they can not stay in power. In the beginning, there are many ways for you to help with out revealing your intentions and endangering yourself. Some examples are: warn people of pending police action; do not locate or arrest freedom fighters; do not shoot, beat or torture prisoners and protesters; report false information to your superiors; provide intelligence to our movement; anonymously report corruption and crimes against humanity to the media; secretly help political prisoners escape; and disrupt petroleum production."